January 2008 News Archive (Page 4)

Simon Cowell is back to advising Britney Spears.

"It's never too late," says Cowell, who has shown support for Spears in the past. "I think she's the most searched artist on the Internet at the moment, so she has a head start."

Heck, as a producer, Simon is even willing to step in and personally lend a hand.

"I genuinely think that if I sat down with Britney and, No. 1, remind her of all the good things in her life – which are her kids, her money, her success, everything – I'd try to give her a sense of perspective. And then I'd take her out of where she's living at the moment and ask her to go and live with her family – and live normally – for six months."

As Cowell so logically put it: "If you live normally and do normal things, you'll suddenly find that the paparazzi aren't camped outside your front door every day. Most importantly, just give her a sense of perspective, because it looks to me at the moment that she's out of control and she needs to have someone in her life who she's going to listen to."

Finally, Cowell added: "She's welcome to call me anytime."

They may not admit it in public, but many associated with last season's American Idol know it missed its mark.

The low sales figures of Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks' debut albums prove as much. But as the show's judges graces this week's TV Guide, that publication lists a few reasons why this season will be a marked improvement:

1. The talent is stronger than ever.
"Last year just wasn't good enough," Simon Cowell says bluntly. Even perpetually positive judge Paula Abdul was underwhelmed: "I don't remember hardly anyone [from] last year."

It's not that Season 6 didn't have a vocal powerhouse or two: Melinda Doolittle and Sparks could belt with the best of 'em. But they failed to capture the public's imagination like past Idols — and subsequent chart-toppers — Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry.

"Even though we had talented kids," sums up executive producer Ken Warwick, "there was not quite the buzz or magic [of previous seasons]."

Fortunately, someone seems to have sprinkled pixie dust over Season 7, as Randy Jackson explains: "It's not, 'Let me do what the judges want or what I think the public wants because I wanna be like Justin Timberlake or Mariah.' These kids have a lot of individuality."

2. America has not yet exhausted its supply of tone-deaf wannabes.
Season 7, despite all its "brilliant" talent, also promises its fair share of the shockingly bad. How could it not?

"Every year you think you've seen it all — the funniest, the daftest, the craziest, the worst," Warwick says. "And every year, that door opens and in comes somebody who's funnier, crazier and worse."

Ryan Seacrest insists American Idol ambition is frighteningly real — and he's got the battle scars to prove it. "One girl was a female wrestler," he recalls, wincing. "She was about four times my size. I asked her to show me a move, and she literally knocked me down to the ground. I had some big bruises from that."

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Headlining a tour with Keith Urban isn't enough for Carrie Underwood.

The American Idol champion has announced the first dates of her own Carnival Ride tour. She'll be touring with special guest Josh Turner, a rising country singer.

Dates and details are below:

Big League Productions - the company that books Broadway musicals for touring throughout the world - is launching a traveling revival of the Tony-winning play "Ain't Misbehavin." Its headliners?

American Idol singers Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis.

Reportedly, Richard Maltby, Jr., who wrote and staged the original 1978 production, will direct the tour, as well. The original Broadway production made a star out of its leading lady, the late Nell Carter.

The musical won Tonys for Best Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Carter) and Best Direction of a Musical (Maltby, Jr.). The national tour is scheduled for 2008-09, although specific dates have yet to be announced.

Randy Jackson recently spoke to Parade Magazine about all things American Idol. A few highlights:

On whether he’d let his kids audition for Idol:
“Yes. I would, if they truly wanted to try. Oh, my god, you may think we’re tough, but the public is tougher. Mick Jagger had it hard at first. They threw stuff at Prince when he was an opening act. People will say, ‘What big ears, I don’t like that nose, look at her hair,’ even before they listen to the music.”

On Simon and Paula:
“They’re cool people. Simon is very smart, with an amazing eye for talent and a little bit of brash. But people identify with him. Paula is a great artist who really loves these kids and nourishes them like a mother.”

On his weight loss:
“A couple of years ago, I was feeling rocky. I was 43, and when I went to the doctor, he said I had type 2 diabetes. I lost 121 pounds and put only 10 back. I completely changed my lifestyle.”

Winning American Idol is no guarantee that you'll actually keep a major label deal.

Just prior to Christmas, rumors began circulating that season 2's champion Ruben Studdard, who released three albums for J Records since 2003 (the latest, 2006's The Return, to modest sales), had been dropped.

Now, reports are circulating season 5 winner Taylor Hicks has also lost his J Records deal.

"Taylor is going to record his next album on his own," said a label rep. "He is no longer on the J Records roster."

What will this mean for the next American Idol winner? Is the show no longer a guarantee star maker?

An American Idol insider has leaked a spoiler regarding one of this season's star performers: British singer Leona Lewis, winner of England's Idol equivalent, The X Factor.

“We always like to invite established guests onto the show to give the contestants an idea of the level they need to reach. Leona, with her incredible voice, fits the bill perfectly,” said the source.

The London lass, 22, whose album "Spirit" became the fastest selling UK debut ever, is dead set on establishing herself in the States in 2008.

“It’s really exciting but I’m just taking one step at a time," she recently said. "It’s a fresh start for me over there because they won’t know me from X Factor... It’s a new challenge but one that I’m excited about.”

With an Oscar in her pocket - or probably on her mantel - Jennifer Hudson has moved on to another dream achievement in 2008:

"I used to watch the Grammys and dream of winning one," the American Idol finalist told People Magazine at a New Year's Eve event in Miami. "Maybe that can be next on my list."

The hopeful star believes 2008 will be even better for her than the past 12 months have been.

"I get to sing this year," she said. "I love acting and I hope I don't ever have to choose between acting and singing, but singing is what I worked 17 years to do. That's what I dreamed of. And I get to do it this year."

Next, fans can catch Hudson in the upcoming Sex and the City movie. She made a point of mentioning how grateful she was for all her good fortune:

"I still don't exactly believe everything that has happened to me. Every day, it's like 'Thank you God.'"